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MOUNTAIN WEST

Green runners and elites alike can celebrate with this holiday happening in the Valley of the Sun. A post-race party in the festive beer garden follows the 5K and 10K events. The chip-timed evening event starts at Reach 11 Sports Complex and follows a loop of flat, groomed desert trails. Tech T-shirts go to all participants, and awards are available for the top three males and females, plus three deep in each age group.

Part of a three-event series in the suburbs north of Denver, this half marathon (with a 5K option) starts at scenic Standley Lake and follows the roomy Big Dry Creek Trail, which quickly shifts runners into a lovely stretch of suburban solitude. It’s the first year the event switches from an out-and-back to a point-to-point course — a measure runner and race director Josh Melver has been routinely gunning for and says will greatly enhance the experience.

Hoof it with your pooch or go solo for a speedy Bolder Boulder qualifying time at this 14th annual fun run around Boulder Reservoir, regular training grounds for world-class runners. The “canine carnival” starts at 8 a.m., followed by the race at 9 a.m. The course features a mile of pavement — split between the start and finish — with 2.1 miles of open dirt roads and trails in between. Awards, live music and local beer, courtesy of Boulder’s Avery Brewing, keep tails wagging even after the run. Plus, proceeds benefit a vital sex-assault hotline and advocacy program with more than 40 years of service to the community.